title: Doxycycline protects against pilocarpine-induced convulsions in rats, through its antioxidant effect and modulation of brain amino acids.
abstract: This work evaluated doxycycline (2nd generation tetracycline) protection against pilocarpine-induced convulsions in rats. The animals were treated with doxycycline (Dox: 10 to100 mg/kg, i.p., 7days), 30min before the pilocarpine injection (P: 300mg/kg, i.p.) and observed for cholinergic signs, latencies to the first convulsion and death. Amino acid concentrations, lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels in temporal cortices were determined as well as the radical scavenging activity. Doxycycline increased latencies to the first convulsion and death as compared to the untreated P300 group. It also decreased glutamate and aspartate, increased GABA, blocked nitrite formation, reduced TBARS contents and showed a radical scavenging activity. Finally, doxycycline decreased the number of degenerating neurons (evaluated by fluoro-jade staining) and increased the number of viable neurons (assessed by cresyl violet staining) as compared do the P300 group. The antioxidant effect associated with decreased levels of excitatory and increased levels of inhibitory amino acids could explain the neuroprotective effect of doxycycline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1127, CEP 60430-270, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Renato Alves
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Flávio Maia
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Damasceno
authors.forename: Manuel Rufino
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: de Aquino-Neto
authors.forename: Geanne Matos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Juvênia Bezerra
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Fontenele
authors.forename: Thales Augusto
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
authors.forename: Glauce Socorro de Barros
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Viana
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009573:Nitrites; D010862:Pilocarpine; D004318:Doxycycline